A shooting victim revealed on Sept. 26 the debilitating impacts of being shot in the neck as DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe sentenced the defendant to 60 months of confinement.
On July 23, Marquise Carter, 28, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill and carrying a pistol without a license for his involvement in a non-fatal shooting that injured two people on July 25, 2024 on the 1400 block of Park Road, NW.
The prosecution read the victim impact statement before Judge Pipe. In it, the victim described the debilitating aftermath of being attacked.
“When I hear loud noises I get scared. … I still hear the gunshots in my head,” one of the victims wrote, adding that she no longer goes outside.
The prosecution asked for Carter to be sentenced to 72 months of confinement for assault with intent to kill and 19 months of confinement for carrying a pistol without a license.
“[She] now has to deal with the trauma … from being shot,” the prosecution said, adding that the victim was celebrating her sister’s birthday the day the shooting happened.
“They were just trying to get home,” the prosecution said.
The prosecution said the victim could not go to work for three months because her mouth was wired shut. They said the shooting was “completely senseless” because Carter had no reason to fire.
Defense attorney Stephen LoGerfo asked Judge Pipe to impose the bottom of the guideline for sentencing for assault with intent to kill, which is two years.
He said Carter “does not have a significant criminal history” but has a “significant history” of mental health issues.
LoGerfo said Carter saw the car heading in the wrong direction and “freaked out.”
“He suffers from significant mental health issues and PTSD,” LoGerfo explained.
He said Carter regrets his actions and has ample support from his family who was present at the hearing.
Carter also apologized to the victim.
Judge Pipe thought Carter’s actions were “a trauma response” caused by “the life he’s lived” and him thinking he was in danger of getting hit. She said she understood why he reacted the way he did but maintained he should not have fired a gun, adding that his actions caused significant damage and he must be held accountable.
“It’s why people who aren’t licensed with firearms shouldn’t have firearms,” Judge Pipe said.
She chose to impose a sentence in the middle of the guidelines because she believed there is opportunity for mitigation.
Jude Pipe sentenced Carter to 60 months of incarceration with three years of supervised release for assault with intent to kill and 12 months for carrying a pistol without a license. The sentences are set to run concurrently.
Carter must register as a gun offender in DC when released.
No future hearings were scheduled.
